Introduction / History

The Ambas, also known as Bwamba, are a Bantu ethnic group primarily residing in Uganda’s Bundibugyo District, south of Lake Albert in the northern foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, and across the border in the Ituri and Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They primarily speak the Amba language, also known as Kwamba, Kihumu, or Ruwenzori Kibira. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, it's often referred to as Kihumu.

Ambas were part of the armed Rwenzururu movement against the Toro Kingdom and central government that reached its height in the mid-1960s and early 1980s. In 2008, the government recognized the Kingdom of Rwenzururu, formed by the Amba and Konjo peoples, as Uganda's first kingdom shared by two tribes.

Historically, the Amba settled in compact villages consisting of two rows of houses along each side of a broad street with a men's house at either end or near the center. Such villages were protected by a dense hedge along the sides and by palisades and a wooden gate at either end.

The local group today is commonly a cluster of hamlets, each consisting of 1 to 10 huts and normally occupied by a small extended family, with a population of a local group ranging from 50 to about 300 or more.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Ambas are primarily agriculturalists, with brand tillage and hoe cultivation. Their staple crop is bananas, followed by manioc, sweet potatoes, maize, cassava, peanuts, rice, and millet. Other crops include peanuts, beans, pumpkins, taro, and yams. Hunting is very important, especially with fewer fishing opportunities. They also herd animals, especially goats, sheep, chickens, and dogs.

Among the Ambas, division of labor is gender based, with men involved in hunting, fishing, herding, and clearing land for cultivation. They are also involved in growing cash crops, especially coffee, but women do most of the cultivation. Women also trade especially with the Konjos, and Himas, or Tukus.

Polygamy is the norm, with small patrilocal extended families, consisting of the families of a father and married sons.

Ambas practice circumcision. Circumcision takes place at intervals of about 15 years.

What Are Their Beliefs?

While Ambas are considered significantly reached, traditional beliefs in a supreme being and spirits of nature and ancestors still linger. These beliefs are intertwined with practices like healing ceremonies referred to as “ragbenle and Poro.”

A significant part of their belief system involves witchcraft. Witches are said to transform into malevolent beings at night and kill people for their flesh, which they then consume in a mystical way.

What Are Their Needs?

Many Amba depend on hurting and farming, improving their crop and animal production would increase their food security.

Many have less access to quality healthcare and education, including higher education.

Prayer Items

Pray that Christ-followers will reach the Amba children with support for health services and quality education.
Pray that the Amba, including Christians, will turn back from witchcraft and traditional beliefs to worshipping only one true God—the Creator of all.
Pray that the Amba will catch the heart of God for all peoples and passionately pursue it both in Uganda and the ends of the earth.

Scripture Prayers for the Amba in Uganda.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amba_people
https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/amba.html